Automobile inclosure



Jan. 24, 1928.

A TTOR/VE) Patented Jan. 24, 1928.

UNITED STATES enoaen n. nisrior, or CLEVELAND, OHIO.

AUTOMOBILE rnonosuan.

' Application filed October 21, 1925. Serial No. 63,891.

My invention relates to side inclosures for the canopy 2 is covered by my improved automobiles, and particularly to improve ments of this character in door-opening curtains. The invention relates particularly 5 to rigid or non-collapsible oinclosures. The inclosure is an improvement on the rigid U-frame construction shown, described, and claimed in my Patent No. 1,425,442 in that a non-metallic element is utilized as a reinforcement upon the closing edge of the curtain. In this closing edge, I utilize a fabric or other non'steel reinforcement for preventing undue stretching or spacing between the upper and lower corners of the closing edge, and a consequent sagging of the rear of the inclosure. For longitudinal stiffeners, I utilize respective upper and lower bars which allow for a curtain break in substantially the line of the door hinges and which provide upon the closing edge a satisfactory moisture and weather-proof joint with the adjacent curtain. I also provide a vertical combination stretching and supporting member which is secured to the longitudinal upper and lower stiffeners at points some what removed from the closing edge of the inclosure and is formed with an extension or offset adapted to be received by any standard bushing or bracket secured in or on the door for mounting the inclosure thereon so that it may ride out and in with the door as the latter is opened and shut. The vertical support, the ends of the two longitudinal stitl'eners, and the non-steel reinforcement thus form a rectangular portion of the inclosure which provides the beneficial results above stated. The feature thus generally described will serve to differentiate the construction from that shown 8 in said Patent No. 1,425,442, and a particular embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail.

The figure is a view from the inside of an automobile showing fragmentary portions 43 of the body and canopy and one door, upon the latter of which is mounted one of my improved inclosures shown in elevation.

Referring to the annexed drawing, I designate an automobile body by the ordinal 1, the canopy by the ordinal 2, one of the doors by the ordinal 3, and bows or other canopy supports b the ordinal 4. i The improved inclosure is mounted upon the door 3 whose hinges are indicated by the ordinal '5 and the 55 opening edge by the ordinal 6,. The opening for the heading between the door 3 and inclosure which rides in and out with the door 3 and is adapted to be suitablylapped at its lateral edges with the adjacent inclosures. This improved inclosure oomprises a fabric section 7 provided with any suitable outlook portion .8 and has upper and lower longitudinal stiffening bars 9 and 10, respectively. These bars 9 and 10 are contained Within suitable pockets 11 and 12,

respectively, and are secured to the fabric 7 adjacent their respective ends by the rivets 13. The rigid frame is completed to effect and maintain the proper stretching of the fabric 7 and also to mount the inclosure upon the door 8 by a vertical rod 14 riveted to the lower stiffener 10 at 23 and secured in any desired manner to the upper stiffener 9, the manner of securing the last-mentioned joint, as herein shown for illustration, being that of pivotally riveting the upper end of the stretching and supporting member 14 to the stiffener 9 at 24. The points 23 and 24 are somewhat removed from the closing edge 25. The member 14 is formed with an extension 15 which is the supporting part of the same and may be of offset or other desired formation, according to the requirements, and serves to mount the inclosure upon the door 3 by means of any suitable bushing or bracket, such as illustrated by the bushing 16. The lower rear corner of the inclosure is secured to the body by a suitable fastener element 22. The fabric reinforce-. ment section 17 of the rectangular curtain portion bounded by the rod 14, the stiffener sections 9' and 10 and the closing edge 25, serves to prevent any undue stretching of the fabric along the closing edge 25 or any undue separation of the upper and lower closing corners 18 and 19, thus properly holding in horizontal alignment the upper rear portion of the inclosure. The desired tension and alignment are thus secured without the necessity of a metallic reinforcement along the closing edge 25of the inclosure.

I support the inclosure from the canopy 2 by means of the fastener elements 26 formed in the valance construction 20 shown, de-

scribed, and claimed in my U. S. Patent No.

1,244,692. I also illustrate one method of storing this improved non-collapsible inclosure, although I make no claims to any invention in the means for such storage. I secure to the upper rear edge of the valance 20 a strap 21 which is also secured to a bow 4 5 deck storage pocket.

10 into a'suitable pocket, might be more andby means of which, after the inclosure has been released from the fastener elements 7 22 and 26 and lifted from the socket 15, it may be swung around and into a suitable This is only one adap tation which serves to illustrate convenient storage for the type ofiinclosure shown and I am aware that other storage methods, such as a sliding movement upon a rod or cable convenient in certain situations.

What I claim is: Y r

The combination, in an =inclosed vehicle 1 provided With a suitable body having an en- 15 trance and a door for said entrance and a canopy, o;f a construction of a side inclosure therefor comprising a non-collapsible curtain formed of fabric, a pair of respective upper and lower longitudinal metallic stiiieners, and a transverse stretching and supporting rod secured to said stiileners at points somewhat removed from one end of the latter, said transverse rod having a supporting section adapted to be received by a door bushing, the fabric being riveted to said end of said two longitudinal stifi'eners to form a 11on-metallic reinforcing closing-edge.

Signed by me this 17th day of October,

GEORGE E. BISHOP. 

